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NASA Rover Finds Active and Ancient Organic Chemistry on Mars
JPL ^
| Dec 16, 2014
| Staff
Posted on 12/16/2014 4:22:20 PM PST by Islander7
NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has measured a tenfold spike in methane, an organic chemical, in the atmosphere around it and detected other organic molecules in a rock-powder sample collected by the robotic laboratory's drill.
"This temporary increase in methane -- sharply up and then back down -- tells us there must be some relatively localized source," said Sushil Atreya of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, a member of the Curiosity rover science team. "There are many possible sources, biological or non-biological, such as interaction of water and rock."
(Excerpt) Read more at jpl.nasa.gov ...
TOPICS: Astronomy; Education; Reference; Science
KEYWORDS: annarbor; life; mars; methane; michigan; nasa; panspermia; science; sushilatreya; uofmichigan; xplanets
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Curiosity also detected different Martian organic chemicals in powder drilled from a rock dubbed Cumberland, the first definitive detection of organics in surface materials of Mars. These Martian organics could either have formed on Mars or been delivered to Mars by meteorites.
Organic molecules, which contain carbon and usually hydrogen, are chemical building blocks of life, although they can exist without the presence of life. Curiosity's findings from analyzing samples of atmosphere and rock powder do not reveal whether Mars has ever harbored living microbes, but the findings do shed light on a chemically active modern Mars and on favorable conditions for life on ancient Mars.
1
posted on
12/16/2014 4:22:20 PM PST
by
Islander7
To: Islander7
There’s also methane in Uranus!
2
posted on
12/16/2014 4:24:25 PM PST
by
Empireoftheatom48
(God help the Republic but will he?)
To: Empireoftheatom48
Not so much. Making my contributions to keep the planet from freezing.
3
posted on
12/16/2014 4:27:08 PM PST
by
Islander7
(There is no septic system so vile, so filthy, the left won't drink from to further their agenda)
To: Islander7
God is a LIVING person .. so why wouldn’t we find organic matter on all the planets ..??
Hmmmmm ..?? I’ve always wondered that.
4
posted on
12/16/2014 4:31:03 PM PST
by
CyberAnt
("The hope and changey stuff did not work, even a smidgen.")
To: Islander7
Mars once was Earth! Just part of a dimensional rotation.
To: Islander7
Well heck, that settles it!
Lets spend 10 trillion dollars, punch a million holes in the ozone layer to prove that we can get there.
NASA budget alert ping!
6
posted on
12/16/2014 4:36:43 PM PST
by
hadaclueonce
(Ethanol is stupid.)
To: Empireoftheatom48
That comment reminds me of the old joke:
Q: How is the starship Enterprise like toilet paper?
A: They both travel to Uranus to wipe out Klingons!
7
posted on
12/16/2014 4:40:44 PM PST
by
XEHRpa
To: Empireoftheatom48
Sounds like they found pelosi’s relatives
8
posted on
12/16/2014 4:49:39 PM PST
by
ronnie raygun
(Empty head empty suit = arrogant little bastard)
To: Islander7
Cow farts from nearby dairy
Martian milk
9
posted on
12/16/2014 5:00:25 PM PST
by
Regulator
To: Islander7; Fred Nerks
"This temporary increase in methane -- sharply up and then back down -- tells us there must be some relatively localized source,>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A Martian farts?
(Maybe Curiosity is down wind of a baked bean restaurant, or it's equivalent there.)
10
posted on
12/16/2014 5:25:00 PM PST
by
Candor7
(Obama fascism article:(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html))
To: Islander7; Fred Nerks
"This temporary increase in methane -- sharply up and then back down -- tells us there must be some relatively localized source,>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A Martian farts?
(Maybe Curiosity is down wind of a baked bean restaurant, or it's equivalent there.)
11
posted on
12/16/2014 6:42:23 PM PST
by
Candor7
(Obama fascism article:(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html))
To: Islander7
Let's just see if the MSM demonstrates their complete lack of scientific knowledge by jumping all over the word "organic" here. Heck, let's let them in on the dark secret: Oil is a mix of organic chemicals, maybe that Bakken pipeline seems a little better now that it's carrying organic stiff, eh?
12
posted on
12/16/2014 6:44:43 PM PST
by
Riflema
To: Islander7
Organic molecules contain carbon and usually hydrogen. Often associated with life, they also occur most everywhere there is carbon. Not a proof of anything, they still have to be there if there is, in fact, life. So, what you said times two.
13
posted on
12/16/2014 7:08:14 PM PST
by
JimSEA
To: Islander7
I’m really torn between hoping they discover some sort of anaerobic life on Mars — which would be SO cool — and hoping they don’t . . . because if life is discovered on Mars, the Green crowd will make dead certain we never, ever set human foot there. :o(
14
posted on
12/16/2014 7:09:51 PM PST
by
Hetty_Fauxvert
(FUBO, and the useful idiots you rode in on!)
To: Islander7
"Methane cometh from pig $hit."
15
posted on
12/16/2014 7:32:09 PM PST
by
StormEye
To: Islander7
Doesn’t one of the Viking life detection team scientists claim to this day that his test in ‘76 was actually positive?
16
posted on
12/16/2014 7:38:15 PM PST
by
BlueNgold
(Have we crossed the line from Govt. in righteous fear of the People - to a People in fear of Govt??)
To: Islander7
Other planets and moons also have methane in their atmospheres. Because methane can only come from living organisms (fossil fuel), we know that there’s been life on all of those orbs!
;-)
17
posted on
12/16/2014 8:00:49 PM PST
by
familyop
(We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of corruption smelled around the planet.)
To: Islander7
The graph I saw was showing the methane spike during the daylight hours. The old Viking landers detected the same thing back in the 70’s but the data was overlooked for 25 years.
To: Riflema
Oil is a mix of organic chemicalsYESSSSS!!! ORGANIC ENERGY!!!!!!!!
19
posted on
12/16/2014 9:54:29 PM PST
by
no-s
(when democracy is displaced by tyranny, the armed citizen still gets to vote)
To: Riflema
They love to call oil a “fossil fuel” but methane has been known to exist elsewhere in the galaxy.
It’s isn’t about “the dinosaurs”.
20
posted on
12/16/2014 11:18:00 PM PST
by
a fool in paradise
(Shickl-Gruber's Big Lie gave us Hussein's Un-Affordable Care act (HUAC).)
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